Customizable Shoe and Accessory Kit

ABSTRACT

A customizable shoe and accessory kit are provided. The accessory kit comprises at least one shoe, each shoe comprising an upper having an outside layer defining an outer surface and a lining, a sole attached to the upper, and at least one means for removably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface. The at least one means for removably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface is disposed beneath the upper and, in some embodiments, between the outside layer and the lining of the shoe, such that the means for removably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface is concealed within the structure of the shoe.

GOVERNMENT CONTRACT

Not applicable.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT RE. FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARK NOTICES

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document may contain materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. This patent document may showand/or describe matter which is or may become trade dress of the owner.The copyright and trade dress owner has no objection to the facsimilereproduction by any one of the patent document or the patent disclosure,as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files orrecords, but otherwise reserves all copyrights and trade dress rightswhatsoever.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosed subject matter relates generally to footwear, and morespecifically, to footwear that can be customized with a variety ofaccessories coupled to the outer surface of the shoe.

BACKGROUND

For many individuals, shoes are a statement accessory that they use toexpress individuality and which can provide or enhance the character ofan outfit. However, selecting shoes that coordinate with an outfit istedious as it requires matching the appearance and the style of the shoewith the clothing. Consumers often purchase new shoes because they findsuch new shoes would better coordinate with one outfit, despite thecosts and storage involved in keeping the new shoes. As such, there is aneed for fashionable shoes which may be readily altered to coordinatewith a variety of outfits.

One proposal for customizable shoes is U.S. Pat. No. 7,698,836 toSchmelzer, which teaches an accessory system for shoes such as CROCS™.However, this proposal requires the shoe to be made of a moldable,stretchable material such as foam, comprising expandable holes on itssurfaces. Of course, foam shoes may not be appropriate for all settings,such as settings with sharp objects, or where formal wear is required.In addition, the holes are visible even when an accessory is notpresent, creating an unsightly appearance.

Other proposals for customizable shoes include U.S. Pat. No. 7,841,107to Braynock, U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,276 to Savoca, and U.S. Pat. No.4,516,337 to Adamik which teach varying transparent display areas on ashoe's surface for customization. However, these proposals are deficientbecause they are limited to 2-dimensional decoration and fail to provideadapt or alter the shoe profile for a variety of looks.

Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 10,143,261 to Perkins teaches a shoe withinterchangeable top surfaces. However, this proposal is deficientbecause it requires that the interchangeable top connect to the shoe atmultiple sites, making it challenging to quickly change the appearanceof the shoe. Further, the top must be connected in the sameconfiguration each time, thus only allowing changes to the color orpattern but not the shoe's overall profile. This proposal is furtherdeficient, as the shoe cannot be worn without connecting theinterchangeable top as the customizable top keeps the shoe on a user'sfoot. As such, this proposal fails to teach a shoe that is easilycustomizable and can be worn with or without accessories.

Thus, although various proposals have been made for different types ofcustomizable shoes, none of those in existence combine thecharacteristics of the present invention. As such, there is a need for ashoe with quick customization that can change a shoe's profile whileretaining an aesthetically appealing outer surface.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to a shoe and accessory kit, whichmay comprise at least one shoe having means for removably securing atleast one accessory to its outer surface. The means for removablysecuring at least one accessory are obscured by an outer surface of theshoe so that such means do not visually detract from or otherwise alterthe appearance of the shoe when the accessories are not in use. Forpurposes of summarizing, certain aspects, advantages, and novel featureshave been described. It is to be understood that not all such advantagesmay be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment. Thus,the disclosed subject matter may be embodied or carried out in a mannerthat achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages withoutachieving all advantages as may be taught or suggested.

The shoe may comprise an upper, a sole attached to the upper having anouter layer defining an outer surface and a lining. The at least onemeans for removably securing at least one accessory to the outer surfaceof the upper may be disposed between the lining and the outer layer ofthe upper.

In one embodiment, the shoe may further comprise a toe puff, which onewill recognize as a piece of material, such as fabric, cardboard, ormetal, which may be inserted as a stiffener in a front-most toe regionof a shoe, disposed between the outer layer and the lining. The at leastone means for removably securing at least one accessory to the outersurface may be disposed between the toe puff and the upper. In such anembodiment, the at least one means for removably securing at least oneaccessory to the outer surface may be located at the midpoint betweenthe medial and lateral side of the toe puff.

It should be noted, and one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize,that the lining may comprise any number of pieces as desired. That is,the lining may be continuous, or it may comprise one or more piecesstitched, glued, or otherwise joined to one another and more or lesscorresponding to any combination of the shoe's toe box and heel, and/orany medial and lateral portions of the upper.

In a further embodiment, the shoe may comprise a heel counter as aplastic or cardboard reinforcement in a heel cup or rearmost region of ashoe and provided to increase foot support. The at least one means forremovably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface may bedisposed between the heel counter and the outer layer of the upper. Insome embodiments, at least one of the aforementioned embodiments mayoccur in combination with another of the aforementioned embodiments. Asa clarifying example, a shoe may comprise at least one means forremovably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface disposedbetween the toe puff and the upper and at least one means for removablysecuring at least one accessory to the outer surface disposed betweenthe heel counter and the upper. Thus, the number and placement of meansfor removably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface willnot limit the invention.

In one embodiment, the at least one means for removably securing atleast one accessory to the outer surface may be mirrored on oppositesides of the midline with respect to a wearer's foot. As a clarifyingexample, the means for removably securing at least one accessory to theouter surface on a lateral side of the shoe may have a correspondingmeans for removably securing at least one accessory to the outer surfaceon a medial side of the shoe.

It is contemplated that the at least one means for removably securing atleast one accessory to the outer surface of the upper may comprisemagnets. In one embodiment, the at least one accessory may comprise themagnets and the at least one means for removably securing at least oneaccessory to the outer surface may comprise a magnetic material. Themagnetic material may for example be a metal such as cobalt, iron,nickel, or alloys thereof. A person of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that all forms of magnetic material may be utilized to formthe present invention.

For example and without limitation, the magnetic material may comprise ametal plate. The metal plate may be round, square, rectangle, or anyother shape. In some embodiments, the metal plate may comprisehorizontal and vertical elements to create an H-shaped plate. In a shoecomprising a plurality of metal plates, it is contemplated that themetal plates may be the same or different shapes.

The at least one accessory may be operative to couple with a pluralityof the at least one means for removably securing at least one accessoryto the outer surface of the shoe. In another embodiment, the at leastone accessory may be operative to couple with only one of the at leastone means for removably securing at least one accessory to the outersurface of the shoe.

A customizable shoe and accessory kit may comprise at least one shoe, ora pair of shoes, and at least one accessory removably securable to anouter surface of the upper of the shoe by the means for removablysecuring at least one accessory to the outer surface. In someembodiments, the at least one accessory may comprise one or moremagnets, while the means for removably securing at least one accessorymay be a sheet of magnetic metal. The accessory may take innumerableforms without departing from the invention be any form of accessoryincluding, for example and without limitation, a strap, a buckle, ajewel or rhinestone, an embellishment, or other forms of accessories,including combinations of the same. The embellishments may be, forexample, be a bow, flower, butterfly, mandala, wings, feather, ribbon,animal figure, or any other suitable shape, object, design, orcombination, as desired.

It is contemplated that the accessory kit may comprise a plurality ofthe aforementioned shoes or accessories.

Several advantages of this shoe and accessory kit are that they:

-   -   a.) allow for customization of shoes for a variety of events;    -   b.) utilize selective connection points to maintain a        lightweight shoe while providing a plurality of customization        options;    -   c.) retains an aesthetically appealing shoe with or without the        presence of the accessories; and    -   d.) allows customization without the need for complex and/or        visually apparent attachment mechanisms.

It is an object of this invention to provide a customizable shoe.

It is another object of the invention to provide a shoe that iscustomizable on its outer surface and configured to avoid visiblecoupling sites, in order to maintain the shoe's aesthetic appearance inthe absence of any accessories.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a shoe accessory kitfor a shoe that may be worn with or without accessories.

One or more of the above-disclosed embodiments, in addition to certainalternatives, are provided in further detail below with reference to theattached figures. The disclosed subject matter is not, however, limitedto any particular embodiment disclosed.

One or more of the above-disclosed embodiments, in addition to certainalternatives, are provided in further detail below with reference to theattached figures. The disclosed subject matter is not, however, limitedto any particular embodiment disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a shoe in accordance with oneembodiment of the customizable shoe and accessory kit.

FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the shoe from FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3A shows a top view of a shoe in accordance with another embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 3B shows a side view of the shoe from FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of the shoe from FIGS. 3Aand 3B.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an external surface of one embodimentof an accessory.

FIG. 6 shows a plain view of an internal surface of the embodiment ofthe accessory from FIG. 5 .

FIG. 7 illustrates one manner in which the exemplary accessory of FIGS.5 and 6 and the exemplary shoe of FIGS. 3A and 3B are removably secured.

FIG. 8 shows a rear view of the exemplary shoe of FIGS. 3A and 3B andaccessory of FIGS. 5 and 6 as assembled in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a side view of another manner in which the accessoryof FIGS. 5 and 6 removably secures to the shoe of FIGS. 3A and 3B.

FIG. 10 shows a side view of the shoe of FIGS. 3A and 3B and accessoryof FIGS. 5 and 6 as assembled in accordance with another embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary manner in which another exemplaryembodiment of an accessory removably secures to the shoe of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 12 shows a rear view of the shoe of FIG. 2 and an exemplaryaccessory as assembled in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary manner in which another exemplaryaccessory removably secures to the exemplary shoe of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 14 illustrates yet another exemplary manner in which yet anotherexemplary accessory removably secures to the exemplary shoe of FIG. 1 .

The disclosed embodiments may be better understood by referring to thefigures in the attached drawings, as provided below. The attachedfigures are provided as non-limiting examples for providing an enablingdescription of the method and system claimed. Attention is called to thefact, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typicalembodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered aslimiting of its scope. One skilled in the art will understand that theinvention may be practiced without some of the details included in orderto provide a thorough enabling description of such embodiments.Well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described indetail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of theembodiments.

For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figuresillustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions anddetails of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoidunnecessarily obscuring the invention. Additionally, elements in thedrawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, thedimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggeratedrelative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodimentsof the present invention. The same reference numerals in differentfigures denote the same elements.

The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in thedescription and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishingbetween similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particularsequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the termsso used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such thatthe embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operationin sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.Furthermore, the terms “include,” and “have,” and any variationsthereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that aprocess, method, system, article, device, or apparatus that comprises alist of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but mayinclude other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process,method, system, article, device, or apparatus

The terms “couple,” “coupled,” “couples,” “coupling,” and the likeshould be broadly understood and refer to connecting two or moreelements or signals, electrically, mechanically or otherwise. Two ormore electrical elements may be electrically coupled, but notmechanically or otherwise coupled; two or more mechanical elements maybe mechanically coupled, but not electrically or otherwise coupled; twoor more electrical elements may be mechanically coupled, but notelectrically or otherwise coupled. Coupling (whether mechanical,electrical, or otherwise) may be for any length of time, e.g., permanentor semi-permanent or only for an instant.

The terms “heel counter,” “toe puff,” “upper,” and “lining” and the likeare known in the art and should be understood broadly. These terms mayvary depending on the artisan and all equivalent language in the art isincorporated.

The term “midline” is understood by a person of ordinary skill in theart to be the sagittal plane of the foot. The sagittal plane of the footdissects the foot between the second and third toe and extends towardsthe heel of the foot, creating medial and lateral sides of the foot. Themedial side of the foot is towards the middle of the body and typicallycomprises the first and second toe. The lateral side of the foot istowards the outside edge of the body and typically comprises the third,fourth, and fifth toes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Having summarized various aspects of the present disclosure, referencewill now be made in detail to that which is illustrated in the drawings.While the disclosure will be described in connection with thesedrawings, there is no intent to limit it to the embodiment orembodiments disclosed herein. Rather, the intent is to cover allalternatives, modifications and equivalents included within the spiritand scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

With reference to FIG. 1 , one exemplary embodiment of a shoe 100 maycomprise an upper 106 having an outer surface, a lining 108, a sole 107,a heel counter 104, and a toe puff 105 (obscured from view). The shoe100 further comprises an opening 114 operative to receive the wearer'sfoot.

The upper 106 may be attached to the sole 107 to form the structure ofthe shoe 100. The lining 108 may be internal to the upper 106 to form aninner surface of the shoe 100. The upper 106 may comprise an outersurface that is external to the lining 108. As shown in FIG. 1 the heelcounter 104 may be internal to the upper 106. It is contemplated that insome embodiments, the heel counter 104 may be dispersed between theupper 106 and the lining 108. Returning to FIG. 1 , the toe puff 105 maybe located internal to the upper 106. It is contemplated that the lining108 may be continuous over the toe puff 105 such that the toe puff 105may be internal to the upper 106 and the lining 108. It is furthercontemplated that the lining 108 may be disrupted by the toe puff 105such that the toe puff 105 comprises part of the inner surface of theshoe 100. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate allconfigurations of the shoe structure and understand that allconfigurations may be utilized here.

At least one means 110 for removably securing at least one accessory tothe outer surface may be located within the shoe 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the at least one means 110 for removably securing at least oneaccessory to the outer surface may be disposed between the upper 106 andthe lining 108. Additionally, the at least one means 110 for removablysecuring at least one accessory to the outer surface may be disposedbetween the upper 106 and the toe puff 105. The at least one means 110for removably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface mayfurther be disposed between the upper 106 and the heel counter 104. Asshown in FIG. 1 , a plurality of the at least one means 110 forremovably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface may belocated between any of the heel counter 104, toe puff 105, and lining108 and the upper 106.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the at least one means 110 for removably securingat least one accessory to the outer surface at the toe puff 105 may becentered such that it is at a midline between a medial side and alateral side of the shoe.

The upper 106 may be formed of any suitable or desirable materials, forexample and without limitation, leather, suede, plastic, satin, vinyl,canvas, and combinations of the same. A person of ordinary skill in theart will know all suitable materials to form an upper 106 and appreciatethat they may be utilized here. The material selected to form the upper106 may determine the thickness of the upper 106 itself. Exemplarythicknesses of the upper include those within the range of 0.001 mm to10 mm. In a further exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the upper maybe 0.01 to 8 mm. In another exemplary embodiment, the thickness of theupper may be the range inclusive of 1 mm to 5 mm.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the means 110 for removably securing at least oneaccessory to the outer surface may be any of a plurality of shapes. Forexample, the shapes may be square, rectangle, circle, polygon, triangle,or any other shape, as desired. As shown in FIG. 2 the shoe 100 maycomprise an H-shaped means 112 for removably securing at least oneaccessory to the outer surface at a rearmost portion of the shoe, inline with a wearer's.

The exemplary H-shaped means 110 for removably securing at least oneaccessory to the outer surface 112 may be disposed between the heelcounter 104 and the upper 106. It is contemplated that the H-shapedmeans for removably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface112 may be centered on a midline of the shoe 116. The H-shaped means forremovably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface 112 maybe curved in a manner operative to engage contact with the upper 106.

The at least one means 110 for removably securing at least one accessoryto the outer surface may be smaller than the upper 106 and, indeed, besmaller than any other element or component comprising the shoe wheresuch means is located. As a clarifying example, the at least one means110 for removably securing at least one accessory to the outer surfacemay be smaller than the toe puff 105 such that it is fully contained onjust a portion of any surface of the toe puff 105.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 4 illustrate another exemplary embodiment of a shoe300. FIG. 3A shows a top perspective view of a shoe 300 which FIG. 3Billustrates a side view of the same exemplary shoe 300.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the at least one means 310 for removably securingat least one accessory to the outer surface may be mirrored along amidline of the shoe. The at least one means 310 a for removably securingat least one accessory to the outer surface on the medial side of theshoe has a corresponding, complementary means 310 b for removablysecuring at least one accessory to the outer surface on the lateral sideof the shoe. In instances where the at least one means 310 c forremovably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface of theshoe is located on the midline, it is contemplated that the at least onemeans 310 c for removably securing at least one accessory to the outersurface is centered on the midline of the shoe. FIG. 3B shows anexemplary side view of one side of the shoe 300, illustrating how oneside of the midline may be configured. The at least one means 310 forremovably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface shown inFIG. 3B may have corresponding, complementary means 310 for removablysecuring at least one accessory on the side of shoe 300 not shown inFIG. 3B.

As shown in the exploded view of FIG. 4 , the shoe 300 comprises a heelcounter 304, a toe puff 305, an upper 306, a sole 307, a lining 308, andat least one means 310 for removably securing at least one accessory tothe outer surface. The sole 307 and the upper 306 may be attached tocreate the structure of the shoe 300. The lining 308 may be internal tothe sole 307 such that it comprises an internal surface of the shoe 300,and the at least one means 310 for removably securing at least oneaccessory to the outer surface may be dispersed between the lining 308and the upper 306.

The shoe 300 may further comprise a toe puff 305 internal to the upper306. As shown, the toe puff 305 may disrupt the lining 308 such that thetoe puff 305 comprises a portion of the inner surface of the shoe. It iscontemplated that in some embodiments, the lining may extend so that itcovers an inner surface of the toe puff. The at least one means 310 forremovably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface may bedisposed between the toe puff 305 and the upper 306.

The shoe 300 may further comprise a heel counter 304 internal to theupper 306, and the at least one means 310 for removably securing atleast one accessory to the outer surface may be dispersed between theheel counter 304 and the upper 306. As shown in FIG. 4 , the heelcounter 304 may disrupt the lining 308 to form a portion of the innersurface of the shoe 300. It is contemplated that in some embodiments,the lining may extend such that it covers the heel counter.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate an accessory 520 for use in a shoe accessorykit shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 . FIG. 5 illustrates an outside surface ofthe accessory 524 as may be seen when the accessory 520 is attached tothe shoe, as shown in FIG. 8 . FIG. 6 illustrates the accessory 520 andat least one connection site 540 on the internal surface of theaccessory 526. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6 , theaccessory 520 may comprise four of the at least one connection sites540. The at least one connection site 540 may be distributed uniformlythroughout the accessory 520, as shown. However, it is also contemplatedthat the at least one connection site 540 may be distributed atnon-uniform intervals to allow for removably securing to shoes as neededor desired. Thus, the foregoing connection sites are offered by way ofexample only, and not limitation.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the manner in which accessory 520, as shown inFIGS. 5 and 6 , securably attaches to the embodiment of the shoe 300. Asshown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the accessory 520 may be operative to removablysecure to the shoe 300 so that the inner surface 526 may be in contactwith the upper 306. The at least one connection site 540 may beoperative to removably secure to at least one of the at least one means310 for removably securing at least one accessory to the outer surfaceas shown in FIG. 7 .

For instance, means 310 for removably securing the at least oneaccessory to the shoe 300 may comprise means for magnetic coupling.Thus, in some embodiments, the at least one connection site 540 maycomprise at least one magnet. The at least one magnet may be operativeto couple with at least one means 310 for removably securing at leastone accessory to the outer surface of the shoe shown in FIG. 7 .

In instances when the at least one connection site 540 is a magnet, theat least one means 310 for removably securing at least one accessory tothe outer surface of the shoe may comprise a magnetic material. Forexample, the magnetic material may be metal operative to couple withmagnets, such as and without limitation to iron, steel, nickel, andalloys thereof. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciateall types of materials operative to couple with magnets through thevarious uppers contemplated herein, which may be used in the presentinvention.

In accordance with the foregoing, the means 310 for removably couplingat least one accessory to the outer surface of the shoe may be at leastone metal plate. Any of the at least one metal plate may be made of anyof the aforesaid magnetic materials. It is contemplated that theexemplary metal plate may be rigid or flexible. The metal plate may, forexample only and without limitation, be of a thickness in the rangeinclusive of 0.1 mm to 10 mm. The metal plate may further have athickness in the range inclusive of 1 mm to 6.5 mm. It is contemplatedthat the thinner the metal plate is, the less the shoe will weigh, assuch, it may be advantageous to utilize thinner plates to prevent excessweight in the shoe. Of course, one skilled in the art will recognizethat the character and thickness of the outer layer of the upper,intervening between the accessory and means for removably securing theaccessory to the upper, may affect how thin the metal may be. That is,the metal and any magnets comprising the accessory may be sized toovercome any interruption to such magnet's magnetic field as may becaused by the upper.

Exemplary shapes for the metal plate include, without limitation,square, rectangle, triangle, circle, polygon, or shapes that comprisemultiple elements of one or more shape. A person of ordinary skill inthe art will appreciate that removably securing an accessory may beaccomplished with any shape. However, it is contemplated that the metalplate may be shaped according to where it is located on the shoe.

The metal plate may have an outer dimension configured to allow the atleast one magnet to removably secure to the outer of the shoe 300. Ininstances where the metal plate is square for example, each side of themetal plate may be in the range inclusive of 0.2 mm to 30 mm in length.In a further instance, each side of the metal plate may be in the rangeinclusive of 5 mm to 20 mm in length. It is contemplated that the metalplates may vary in size depending on their location within the shoe 300.As a clarifying example and without limitation, a metal plate located atthe toe puff may be of a smaller size than a metal plate located at theheel counter 304. In addition, a person of ordinary skill in the artwill appreciate that shoes come in a variety of sizes to accommodatedifferent sizes of the human foot. As such, it is contemplated that thesize of the metal plate may be dependent on the size of the shoe 300,such that a larger shoe may comprise larger metal plates than a smallershoe. It is further contemplated that the metal plates may be sized andplaced such that they are suitable for removably securing the at leastone accessory 520 in a plurality of shoe sizes.

The magnet at the coupling site 540 may, for example, be a temporarymagnet. The magnet may be any suitable shape to allow for removablysecuring the accessory 520 to the shoe 300, such as and withoutlimitation, circle, ring, rectangle, square, or horseshoe. A person ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any magnet shape may beutilized to practice the invention.

It is contemplated that, in some embodiments, the magnet may be fullyenclosed within the accessory 520. In such embodiments, the magnet maybe limited by the size of the accessory 520. The thickness of the magnetmay, for example and without limitation, be in the range inclusive of0.8 mm to 10 mm. In a further example, the thickness of the magnet maybe in the range inclusive of 1.5 mm to 3 mm.

It is further contemplated that the outer dimensions of the magnet maybe limited by the size of the accessory 520 which is in contact with theshoe 300 when assembled in order to cause the magnet to be visuallyobscured by the accessory when removably secured to a shoe. Forinstance, when the magnets are circular in shape, the diameter of themagnet may, without limitation, be inclusive of 1 mm to 50 mm. In afurther instance, the diameter of the magnet may be inclusive of 5 mm to20 mm.

In another embodiment, the means for removably securing at least oneaccessory to the outer surface of the shoe 310 may comprise a magnet.The magnet may be operative to couple with the at least one connectionsite 540, the at least one connection site 540 may comprise a magneticmaterial. In such an embodiment, it is contemplated that the thicknessof the magnet may be limited to the size of the upper. The thickness ofthe magnet may further be at least about 1.5 mm, such that the magneticfield is sufficiently strong to removably secure with at least oneaccessory 520. It is further contemplated that the magnet may be locatedtowards the superior portion of the upper 306 in order to reduceaccidental magnetic coupling with objects other than the accessories520, such as metal shavings or nails, which may be present on a user'sfootpath.

FIG. 8 illustrates an assembled kit wherein the accessory 520 of FIGS. 5and 6 is removably securable in the manner as shown in FIG. 7 to theshoe 300.

FIGS. 9-14 illustrate other non-limiting, exemplary embodiments ofaccessories, which have been offered only for the sake of clarifying theinvention. For example, the accessories may comprise a decorativeelement such as a strap, buckle, jewel, embellishment, or brooch. Theembellishments may, for example, be a bow, flower, butterfly, wings,feather, ribbon, animal figure, or any other suitable object. Any of theat least one accessory may be made of a rigid material, such as plastic,ceramic, jewels, and metal, without limitation. Additionally, any of theat least one accessory may be made of a flexible material, such as andwithout limitation, fabric, leather, and soft plastics. The at least oneaccessory may further comprise a combination of any of the rigid andflexible materials. An accessory kit which comprises multiple of the atleast one accessory may comprise any combination of the aboveembodiments of accessories. It is contemplated that some accessories maybe operative to couple at a plurality of the at least one means forremovably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary embodiment in which an accessory 920securably attaches to the shoe 300 shown in FIG. 3 . With reference toFIG. 9 , the accessory 920 may be a strap wherein the inner surface ofthe accessory 926 is in contact with the upper of the shoe 906 as shownin FIG. 10 . FIG. 9 illustrates the connection between the at least oneconnection site 940 and the at least one means 910 for removablysecuring at least one accessory to the outer portion of the shoe. Asshown in FIG. 9 , the accessory 920 may comprise three connection sites940 operative to couple with three of the at least one means 910 forremovably securing at least one accessory to the outer portion of theshoe.

FIG. 10 illustrates that the at least one means 910 for removablysecuring at least one accessory to the outer portion of the shoe maycomprise a different dimension than the at least one connection site940. Though not illustrated, the means for removably securing at leastone accessory to the outer portion of the shoe may comprise the samedimension as the at least one connection site. Returning to FIG. 10 ,the at least one means 910 for removably securing at least one accessoryto the outer portion of the shoe may be larger than the at least oneconnection site 940. It is further contemplated that the at least onemeans for removably securing at least one accessory to the outer portionof the shoe may be smaller than the at least one connection site. Aperson of ordinary skill will appreciate that feet come in a variety ofsizes to accommodate differently sized feet. As such, the at least onemeans for removably securing at least one accessory to the outer portionof the shoe and the at least one connection site may be desirable toallow for the at least one accessory to removably secure to a pluralityof shoe sizes. With reference to FIG. 10 , the accessory 920 mayremovably secure to the upper 306 and spans the width of the shoe 300,as such, the connection sites 940 may be operative to removably securewith a plurality of shoe widths. The accessory 940 may further comprisea flexible material to adjust to the different shoe sizes.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , the accessory 1120 may be operative tocouple with an H-shaped means 1112 for removably securing at least oneaccessory to the outer surface. It is contemplated that the H-shapedmeans 1112 for removably securing at least one accessory to the outersurface may allow for larger accessories. The H-shaped means 1112 forremovably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface mayprovide multiple anchoring points, which allows for the greaterstability of the accessory 1120 when coupled. In addition, the H-shapedmeans 1112 for removably securing at least one accessory to the outersurface may allow for the accessory 1120 to connect to contact multiplepoints of the outer of the shoe 1106.

FIG. 13 provides an exemplary embodiment of a shoe 1300 comprising anupper 1306 having an outer surface, a lining 1308 internal to the upper,a sole 1307 attached to the upper, a heel counter 1304, an openingoperative to receive a wearer's foot 1314, and at least one means 1310for removably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface. Theshoe 1300 in FIG. 13 demonstrates exemplary embodiments of connectionswithout the use of the H-shaped means 112 for removably securing atleast one accessory to the outer surface as seen in FIG. 2 .

As shown in FIG. 13 , the accessory in the kit may be a strap 1320 as achain. The strap 1320 may be operative to removably secure to aplurality of the at least one means 1310 for removably securing at leastone accessory to the outer surface. The strap 1320 may couple with theshoe 1300 such that it spans the opening operative to receive thewearer's foot 114. In some embodiments, the strap 1320 may comprise arigid material such that it retains a desired shape. In anotherembodiment, the strap 1320 may comprise a flexible material such as, forexample and without limitation, tulle, elastic, cloth, leather, or anyother material that may conform to the shape of a wearer's foot. It iscontemplated that this strap 1320 may, in some instances, be operativeto provide additional support to the user when wearing the shoe 1302.

As shown in FIG. 14 , the accessory 1440 may comprise at least onecoupling site 1440 operative to couple with at least one means 1310 forremovably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface locatedat different points throughout the shoe 1300. FIG. 14 furtherillustrates one embodiment of the accessory 1440 which may be defined bya set length. A person of ordinary skill will appreciate that humanshave different sized feet amongst one another, which requires differentsize shoes, and, as such, elements of a shoe may have differentdimensions depending on its size. As such, it is contemplated that theset length may be configured to permit it to be removably secure to aplurality of shoe sizes. For example, the at least one means 1310 forremovably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface may be ofa size greater than the connection site 1440. The connection site 1440may removably secure to any point along the at least one means 1310 forremovably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface. As such,the connection site 1140 has a set distance in which it may connect. Asa clarifying example, the connection site 1440 may removably secure withthe at least one means 1310 for removably securing at least oneaccessory to the outer surface in the middle for a women's size eightshoe. The same accessory 1420 may also be operative to removably securewith a women's size five shoe, however, the connection site 1440 may nowbe located distal to the middle of the at least one means 1310 forremovably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface.

It is further contemplated that some accessories may be suitable foronly one shoe size. In such an embodiment, the connection site may besized equal to the at least one means for removably securing at leastone accessory to the outer surface.

It is contemplated that in some embodiments that multiple accessoriesmay be operative to simultaneously couple with the same at least onemeans for removably securing at least one accessory to the outersurface.

It is further contemplated that the shoe may be any style of shoe andthose described are merely exemplary embodiments.

CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE

While certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed, various modifications are contemplated and can be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Forexample, a soft shoe, such as a flat, may be operative to removablysecure with at least one accessory in the manner described. Accordingly,it is intended that the invention not be limited, except as by theappended claim(s).

The teachings disclosed herein may be applied to other systems, and maynot necessarily be limited to any described herein. The elements andacts of the various embodiments described above can be combined toprovide further embodiments. All of the above patents and applicationsand other references, including any that may be listed in accompanyingfiling papers, are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of theinvention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems,functions and concepts of the various references described above toprovide yet further embodiments of the invention.

Particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspectsof the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology isbeing refined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics,features, or aspects of the customizable shoe and accessory kit withwhich that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in thefollowing claims should not be constructed to limit the customizableshoe and accessory kit to the specific embodiments disclosed in thespecification unless the above description section explicitly definesuch terms. Accordingly, the actual scope encompasses not only thedisclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing orimplementing the disclosed system, method and apparatus. The abovedescription of embodiments of the customizable shoe and accessory kit isnot intended to be exhaustive or limited to the precise form disclosedabove or to a particular field of usage.

While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the method, system, andapparatus are described above for illustrative purposes, variousequivalent modifications are possible for which those skilled in therelevant art will recognize.

While certain aspects of the method and system disclosed are presentedbelow in particular claim forms, various aspects of the method, system,and apparatus are contemplated in any number of claim forms. Thus, theinventor reserves the right to add additional claims after filing theapplication to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects ofthe customizable shoe and accessory kit.

What is claimed is:
 1. A kit comprising: a shoe defined by an upper anda sole attached to the upper, the upper having at least an outside layerand a lining; at least one accessory removably securable to the outsidelayer of the upper; and at least one means for removably securing the atleast one accessory to an outer surface of the upper, such meansdisposed beneath the outside layer.
 2. The kit of claim 1, wherein theshoe further comprises a toe puff.
 3. The kit of claim 2, wherein atleast one of the at least one means for removably securing at least oneaccessory to the outer surface is disposed between the upper and the toepuff.
 4. The kit of claim 1, wherein the shoe further comprises a heelcounter.
 5. The kit of claim 4, wherein at least one of the at least onemeans for removably securing at least one accessory to the outer surfaceis disposed between the upper and the heel counter.
 6. The kit of claim1, wherein the at least one means for removably securing at least oneaccessory to the outer surface disposed beneath the outer layer of theupper is H-shaped.
 7. The kit of claim 1, wherein the at least oneaccessory comprises a decorative element and at least one magnet.
 8. Thekit of claim 1, wherein the shoe is operative to removably secure withthe at least one accessory through magnetic coupling.
 9. The kit ofclaim 8, wherein the at least one of the at least one means forremovably securing at least one accessory to the outer surface comprisesa magnetic material.
 10. A shoe comprising an upper defining an outersurface, a sole attached to the upper, and a lining configured to definean inner surface of the upper; and at least one means for removablysecuring at least one accessory to the outer surface disposed beneaththe upper.
 11. The shoe of claim 10, wherein at least one of the atleast one means for removably securing at least one accessory to theouter surface of the upper is H-shaped.
 12. The shoe of claim 10,wherein the at least one means for removably securing at least oneaccessory to the outer surface is a metal piece.
 13. The shoe of claim10, further comprising a toe puff.
 14. The shoe of claim 13, wherein atleast one of the at least one means for removably securing at least oneaccessory to the outer surface is disposed between the upper and the toepuff.
 15. The shoe of claim 13, wherein at least one means for removablysecuring at least one accessory to the outer surface is disposed betweenthe upper and a midpoint point on the toe puff between a medial andlateral side of the shoe.
 16. The shoe of claim 10, further comprising aheel counter.
 17. The shoe of claim 16, wherein at least one of the atleast one means for removably securing at least one accessory to theouter surface is disposed between the upper and the heel counter. 18.The shoe of claim 17, wherein the at least one means for removablysecuring at least one accessory to the outer surface has acorresponding, complementary at least one means for removably securingat least one accessory to the outer surface on a medial side and alateral side of the shoe.
 19. The shoe of claim 10, wherein the upper iscontinuous over the at least one means for removably securing at leastone accessory to the outer surface.
 20. A shoe comprising an upper, asole attached to the upper, a lining internal to the upper, a toe puff,a heel counter, and a plurality of means for magnetically securing atleast one accessory to the outer surface, wherein at least one of themeans for magnetic coupling is disposed beneath the upper and the toepuff at a midpoint between a medial and lateral side of the shoe;wherein at least one of the means for magnetic coupling is disposedbetween the upper and the heel counter; and wherein at least one of themeans for magnetically securing at least one accessory to the outersurface is disposed between the upper and the lining.